Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang
by Crystal Manning
Summary: You cannot have darkness without light. You cannot have right without wrong. You cannot have good without evil. They are opposing forces but they're needed to help keep the balance in the world. The power of Yin and Yang is a strong force. They are interconnected and interdependent. As soon as that perfect balance is disrupted nature goes to hell. OC. TysonxHilary RayxMariah
1. Prologue

**C.M.- **I'm back to finally present to you the second (or third, depending on who you're asking) part of the CT series: _Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang!_ [Insert sound of applause here]. I have a lot planned for this story and I can't wait to see what you all think of it. I know I said I would get the sequel up back in August but school had gotten in the way and I wanted to make some headway on my Narnia stories (which I've neglected for so long). So I want to take the time and thank you all for being so patient with me.

This story is the starting point of shifting themes. It will be a bit darker than what I had already showed you (for example, Max getting struck by lighting in _Summer Paradise_). Not only will it deal with strict rules and traditions but it will also include things that touch on the brink of adult matters such as disease, arranged marriages, abuse, exploration in relationships, and graphic depictions of beybattle consequences to name a few. Basically the T rating will be hard hitting this time around.

**Alternate Summary:** -Seq to Crouching Tiger- She planned on going back to the White Tiger Village only to witness a wedding. After that she would start her new life. But she forgot one thing: no matter how hard you try and sever ties, tradition follows you around. And this is one tradition that she would rather die than to follow. She's about to get her wish.

**Full Plot: **Crystal didn't want to go back to the White Tiger Village initially. She only planned on going back so she could witness her friend's wedding. After that she would jump on a plane straight for Japan to start her new life. Easy. But, as she learned, life doesn't work the way that she wants it to. The one thing she forgot is that, no matter how hard you try and sever ties, tradition follows you around. It shapes you into who you are, no matter how much you want to turn your back on it.

All Crystal wants is to have control of her own life, to make her own choices and suffer the consequences should they arise. She wants to go against everything she's learned in the village and break away from the ties that hold her down. But the White Tiger Village has a stronger hold on her than she thought.

A dark force lurks within the village, waiting to latch onto those who are weak and drag them down. The time has come for G Revolution to come together as a team to defeat the darkness of the world once and for all. Friendships will be tested amidst a repetition of the past that can make even the strongest sort crumble under the pressure. A journey of self discovery, an opening of hearts, and a simple wish may be the key to restoring balance and fixing a rift that grew too large over time.

**Genres: **Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance

**OC Warning:** To those who avoid stories with OCs, this story isn't running rampant with them. The only "major" OC is Crystal; however there are other OCs included as minor characters needed to push the story forward.

**Note:** Part of the story of the Tiger is an actual part of Chinese folklore called the Nodding Tiger. Also, FF only displays the first two characters chosen out of four for who the story is about. The four I chose were OC, Ray, Lee, and Mariah. But it should be five 'cause Kai needs to be added in there. Also, this story is the third in a series. While you don't necessarily have to read the other stories to understand what is going on in this one it is recommended.

**Disclaimer:** I, unfortunately, do not own Beyblade. Anything that is related to the Beyblade franchise belongs to Takao Aoki. I, however, do own Crystal, Dricen, and other people/places/bitbeasts belong to me.

* * *

_**Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang  
**__**Prologue**_

The tiger is a very important facet of Chinese culture and folklore. It is widely believed that the tiger kills evil men and protects good men. Because of that belief Tiger charms are used to keep away disease and evil. Babies are usually given embroidered tiger shoes for protection in their infant years. A tiger claw amulet is believed to ward off sudden fright and give the wearer the courage of the tiger.

And those that go hunting for the tiger that has been rumored to prowl around the forest nearby the White Tiger Village stock up on every tiger charm they can find. Whether it's to protect themselves from the lurking evil in the forest or to draw the tiger out, no one knows. But no one went against the tradition either. Why risk it when those who have gone in with the charms came right back out unscathed? They came up empty handed when it came to finding the elusive tiger as well.

Rumor has it that anyone who can catch the Tiger, who can pet its fur, will get a wish. Any wish. Anything that the catcher can come up with, anything their heart desires. But no one has been able to catch the elusive Tiger.

Except for one person.

Long ago lived an old woman and her son. They lived in a shack in the mountains and were poor, but they were happy. They had each other and that was all they needed. The young son would leave in the early morning to gather food for himself and his mother. Every day he would head off to the mountains and come back when the sun began to die as the mother went on trying to sell anything she could to get them money.

One day the son went off, armed with an axe, like any normal day. Only it wasn't. The woman waited and waited for her son to come back as the sun slowly died. When it set her worries began to take over. She went along the mountain trail to find him. When nothing came to light she went to her neighbor to tell of her woes. The neighbor, feeling sorry for the old woman, decided to go looking for the son himself. He worried that the son had been eaten by a wild beast on the mountain but he went in search for the young boy anyway.

He searched the mountains and, halfway up the slope, spotted the blood stained clothes of the young boy near the axe that he had carried up the mountain. There was no mistake; the young son had been eaten, much as the neighbor feared. With a heavy heart the neighbor returned to the woman and told her the unfortunate news. She fell to the ground, screaming for her lost son.

After a day of grieving she went to the city to demand justice for her fallen son. The city held onto the idea of a life for a life—the tiger was to be brought to the city to be executed. Weeks went by and the woman still suffered from the loss of her son. There was no sign of the tiger.

One day the tiger was found and brought into the village to face his punishment. He was asked about his wrong doings, admitting to being the one that killed the young boy. The woman screamed for the tiger to be killed as punishment for taking her only son away from her.

The judge in charge of the tiger's sentence wasn't a cruel judge and therefore made a deal with the tiger: because the woman was old and frail the tiger was to take the place of the son and care for the woman. The woman was outraged. She wanted to see the tiger punished for taking her son away from her instead of the tiger being set free.

The next day she was surprised to see that a newly killed deer was placed on her doorstep. The tiger had begun the process of keeping his promise. She could see its claw marks in the hide of the young deer. The woman took the deer and prepared it for the market, selling the flesh and skin of the deer for a profit. The woman went home with enough money to keep her satisfied for a couple of days.

A week later the tiger returned this time with cloth and money. The tiger ran away before the woman could thank him. Before long she stopped grieving for her dead son and opened her heart for the large animal that had taken her son's place. The tiger, in turn, grew attached to the woman. It even went so far as letting her pet him and stroke his fur.

Time went on and the woman's time came to pass on. Those of her village laid her to rest at the foot of the mountain. The tiger mourned the passing of his mistress. He lay by her grave and wailed as if it had lost its own mother. There were times where the tiger would look for the missing woman but it was all in vain. She was gone forever.

One night the tiger vanished from the mountain. No one from the village had ever laid eyes on the tiger again. Some say it went off to the mountain to pass in peace. Others say the Tiger simply found a new home in the forest, taking on a position of protecting those with malicious intents and continuing to honor his promise to aid the mother in her time of need, also including those of pure hearts.

Since then people have claimed to spy the eyes of the Tiger in the forest leading them when they got lost. But that is all that can be seen of the Tiger. No one has gotten close enough to touch the snow-white fur. No one was deemed worthy enough to get close enough to the Tiger. No one had the purest heart for the Tiger to reveal itself.

Until now.


	2. Paper Chains

**_Chapter 1:  
Yang: Paper Chains_**

A twister raged inside of him, sucking in every emotion that dared to rear its head, twisting and turning it until the only thing that popped out on the other side was anxiety. Shaking hands, sweaty palms, dry mouth, the works. A fog settled in the confines of his brain making a task so simple, like making tea, turn into the most complex puzzle in the world.

Grumbling, Ray lifted the ceramic pot off of the stove, cutting the shrill whistle off in mid-note. The bitter smell of burnt tea leaves attacked his sensitive nose. He held the pot away from his face and set it in the sink, waving away the smoke that jumped up to his nose with a vengeance. The smoke lifted in the air, curling and shifting to form small ribbons before disappearing in the beam of sunlight that streamed through the open window.

He sighed. "Great, this was the last of my good tea leaves." He grimaced while lifting the lid of the tea pot. The clump of dried, blackened leaves at the bottom of the hand-painted ceramic clung to the bottom of the pot when Ray turned it upside-down. He gave it a few shakes to try and dislodge the mess but it held on tight. "Just great." What else could go wrong?

His grip fumbled on the teapot when the door slid open with a bang. He gently set the teapot down as hearty laughter reached his ears. "Geeze, Ray, did you let one rip in here?" Tyson asked, a large grin sitting upon his face. "Ha ha. Geddit? Let one rip?" He shook his head, reveling in his own sense of humor, and set the grocery bag he was carrying onto the countertop. He sauntered over to Ray and looked around him to see inside the sink. "No, really, what in the world _is_ that?"

"Burnt tea leaves," Ray replied. Might as well get it over with. They could find out eventually and there was no shame in making a mistake. Even if he had the art of making tea down pat since he was five years old. There was nothing wrong with owning up to a mistake, was there?

"_You!_?" Tyson burst out and then started laughing all over again. "You, Mr. I Can Cook My Way Out of a Paper Bag, burnt tea leaves?" Ray's eyebrows lifted as his eyelids lowered, signaling that he was not amused at all by the thought, even though it tickled Tyson pink. "Oh man!" He wiped away the tea that clung to his eyelashes. "I never thought I would see the day when _Ray_ messed something up! Does anyone have a camera? We need to document this moment."

"Ha ha," Ray laughed, his tone as humorless as possible. He rolled his eyes and went back to trying to dislodge the tea leaves. "Hey, tell Grandpa we may not be able to salvage this pot."

"That's not his, that's Crys's," Tyson said. The crinkling of the bag he was digging through distorted his words but Ray caught them. He sighed and put the pot down. Yes, that design did seem familiar. He sighed again. Of _cours_e it would be hers; he didn't seem to have any luck lately.

His beyblading technique wasn't up to snuff, even he would admit that. When he could usually hold his own against Tyson, beat out Max, and go back and forth with Kai he saw Driger fly out of the dish time and time again because of a bad call, bad strategy, or bad concentration. Kai didn't let him walk away scot-free with that. His muscles still ached from the week-long intensive that he sent the team on once they returned from the islands.

"The vacation has turned you into slackers," Kai had said once they had set foot back in Japan. "You're going to make up for that as soon as we get back." Tyson, of course, argued against that. They had gone to the gym while on the island but even Ray knew it wasn't enough. It wasn't up to Kai's standards and those were tough standards to meet, no matter how hard they tried. And boy, did they try. Kai could be a little bit sadistic sometimes but they all knew, deep down, that he was only doing it to make the team better and reach their fullest potential in and out of the beydish.

Taking a week to unwind and relax back in Japan was a good idea when it came to getting back in shape that the island undid but the wait was beginning to make Ray antsy and a little spacey if the tea leaves were of any indication. He itched to get back home and rejoin his friends, who went straight to China to prepare for their arrival. He couldn't wait to taste the food he was deprived from for months on end, couldn't wait to drink the organic herbal teas and be re-immersed in the community that rejuvenates his spirits.

_One more day_.

The crinkling of the bag pulled Ray from his thoughts and he turned to see Tyson produce a package of rice balls and grin in triumph. He ripped open the package and was halfway through eating the first when Ray blinked and looked on in astonishment. It will forever surprise him how much Tyson could put away and how quickly as well.

"Tyson, you just bought that," Ray pointed out.

"So?" Tyson asked with a full mouth. Little bits of rice dropped out and fell to the floor. Ray's lip curled and Tyson swallowed loudly. "I'm _starving_! Grandpa is trying to bring more healthy crap into the house. All because of Kai! Can you believe that! He says I need to go on a diet or something. I swear he's always out to get me."

"_Or_ he knows you can be in better shape," Hilary commented. Her arms were loaded down with grocery bags but they didn't hide the scowl etched into her face. Ray stepped forward and took the bags from her. She shot him an appreciative glance and then punched Tyson on the arm.

"No. He's trying to kill me, that's what he's doing," Tyson responded, waving the packet in her face. He shoved the remaining rice balls in his mouth, his cheeks puffing up at the effort he put into trying to chew the food mass.

"There's always a conspiracy theory with you isn't there?" Ray asked. Tyson nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The sad part was that it probably _is_ the most obvious thing in the world…in Tyson's world. "The little world you live in must be interesting."

"You betcha!" Tyson replied. Hilary and Ray exchanged a look, trying to hide their amused grins. Tyson either ignored it or didn't see it. Ray bet on the last one. He turned back to the sink and started to fill the teapot with water again when Tyson spoke up. "So Ray, what's your village like?"

"Well…" Ray dragged out. How was he to word what he wanted to say? He's spoken about the village before but he wasn't so sure Tyson quite understood that it was a _remote_ mountain village that they were going to. They had only just acquired a small TV powered by batteries. It even had antennas! Electricity didn't run in the village and he didn't expect it to come to the village anytime soon.

"We're a very close-knit community," he explained. "We try to help each other out as best as we can and responsibility is very important. We have a responsibility to keep the village running as smoothly as possible so we pitch in wherever we can. It's also very traditional so there are a few rules you need to follow to the T but, other than that, it should be a great experience for you all."

"Oh no!" Tyson gasped. Ray spied a look of pure horror on his face. He thought back to think about what it is that he had said to warrant such an expression but nothing came to mind. "This isn't supposed to be…_educational _is it?" Ray rolled his eyes.

"Well, it sounds like fun to me," Hilary said, ignoring Tyson's comment.

"It should be a good time. Chinese weddings are a great celebration not just for those getting married, for the rest of us as well. And with the Dragon Boat Festival in accordance everyone's spirits should be high." Ray smiled at the memory of the festivals he's been too. All of the bright colors and sweet scents popped up in his memory and a pang of longing kicked him in the stomach.

"Yo, what's that smell? You haven't tried some new experiments on me have you?" Grandpa asked, his voice boisterous as always. He padded into the room and put the grocery bags down with the others.

Ray smiled good-naturedly. "No, not this time. Not after the beet incident," he said, shooting Tyson a look. Tyson smiled sheepishly. "I'd much rather keep my arm this time."

Grandpa Granger guffawed and slapped Tyson on the back. "Yeah, that's the norm around here," he said and then directed his gaze at his grandson. "Tatsuya, instead of being a bump on a log why don't you help me unpack this stuff, son?"

Everything stilled in the room. Tyson's lips pressed together. His eyes shifted between his grandfather's face to his friends' faces. Then a smile formed on his face and he laughed. It sounded a little forced to Ray. "It's Tyson, Grandpa," he said. "I think you're losing your mind more than I originally thought."

"Hey, I'm not that old yet!" Grandpa flexed his muscles. "I got the body of a forty year old and I'm as strong as an ox! That's what the doctor says, you can call him up! Or would you rather see for yourself. Someone's been slacking on their lessons!"

Tyson groaned. "Aww, but Gramps. I'm the World Champ. Surely that can get me out of some chores."

Ray scoffed. "If I were given the chance to learn Kendo I wouldn't turn it down. It's a great sport to learn and, not only that, it teaches discipline."

"Something that you definitely could learn from," Hilary added.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Tyson demanded.

His question wasn't answered. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. You got a letter, homedog," Grandpa said and held a plain white envelope in Ray's direction.

He took it without batting an eyelash. It was becoming common place for them to get mail sent to the Granger Dojo. Even Hilary and Kenny got mail sent to the dojo on more occasions than they got mail at their own homes.

What did make Ray falter, though, was the handwriting on the front of the envelope. The handwriting which was in a nice straight line with a little curl on the end of each letter as if the ends was melting. Handwriting that he had seen a lot in his childhood and, as of late, the handwriting he sees in his dreams.

"Ray." The light push on his arm grabbed his attention. "Did you want us to leave anything out for dinner?" Hilary asked. Her eyebrows were raised. The tone in her voice let him know that it wasn't the first time she had asked the question.

"Oh. Uhm…just some of the vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, celery, that sort of thing," he replied. "I'll make stew."

Hilary grinned. "Oh, that sounds delicious." Her smile faltered slightly when she glanced at Tyson and she added, "Assuming we can get some of it."

Ray chuckled, folding the letter and shoved it into his pocket. "Don't worry; I'll make enough so that it can withstand Tyson's stomach of steel."

* * *

After a delicious dinner and an exquisite dessert (if he did say so himself) Ray found himself pacing in his room, the letter burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted to open it, oh boy did he want to open it, but what sort of can of worms would he be opening? Would it be a can of disappointment or hope? Despair or relief? He wasn't so sure the risk would be worth it. Having 50/50 odds was too much.

Sighing, he removed the letter from his pocket and set it on the dresser, right next to his passport and the ticket for their flight. He brushed his fingers against the bold lettering of their destination, his mouth twisting to the side. Turning away from the dresser his eyes scanned his packed bag sitting on his bed, Driger lying next to it. Ray blinked and he swore, for a moment, that the bitchip had flashed that familiar green light he's seen many times before.

Taking in a deep breath he forced himself out of the room, away from the pull of the letter, and down the hall. Muffled talking voices grabbed his attention and lured him over to the room. He leaned against the door way and looked, in astonishment, around the room.

Crystal and Hilary were sharing the particular room but it looked as if Hilary's closet had exploded. Clothes were strewn everywhere. The only thing that wasn't touched was the space on the floor that was currently occupied by Max.

"See! I told you! I have nothing," Hilary said, waving her arms to encompass the room around her.

"Hil, I told you as long as you follow the 4Bs you'll be fine," Crystal told her.

"What're the 4Bs?" Max asked from the floor.

"What you shouldn't show. The village follows a code of decency and showing a certain amount of skin is a big deal. You want to be conservative and let your personality draw the eye, not what you're wearing. Or _not_ wearing." Crystal held up her hand, four fingers extended. "In short, the 4Bs are the four things you shouldn't show: breasts, belly, butt, or back. You keep those covered and you will be fine. They tend to prefer that you wear pants that hang lower than your knees but since you're visiting you may get a pardon from that."

"Wow. I didn't think there would be so many rules for clothing," Max commented.

"Well, the village is very traditional and following rules helps keep the balance that they strive to achieve. The village revolves around the idea of balance. It's the focal point." Crystal moved clothes off of the chair and sat down. "Really, it's not that many things you have to remember. Treat the Elders with respect, of course. Don't point or stare right at someone. Do not greet someone by their first name unless you know them really well. Winking and whistling is considered rude. PDA with members of the opposite sex is considered rude. Holding hands and hugging those of the same sex is acceptable. But there is always a gray area with that. Be punctual. And Hilary, if an older man asks you how old you are, don't answer. Just excuse yourself."

"Do I want to know why?" Hilary asked.

"You'd feel better not knowing," Ray finally spoke up, signaling his appearance at the door. He entered the room and looked around at the mess on the floor and all of the furniture in the room.

"That's a lot of rules," Max noted.

Ray rubbed the back of his neck. Now that a few of them were said aloud they did sound daunting. To him it was just…life. It was common sense. "Not so much rules but…guides. If you ever run into trouble asking will take you a long way."

"Besides, we shouldn't be the ones you're telling this to," Hilary added. "It's Tyson that needs to know all of these rules." She scoffed and crossed her arms. "I wouldn't put it past him to break all of those rules in one day."

"Speaking of, where did he run off to?" Crystal asked.

"He's either hiding from Kai or Grandpa…or both," Max replied. "And Kai will probably show up sooner or later."

Hilary lifted an eyebrow. "Kai is not one we need to worry about when it comes to learning a new culture. Nor Kenny. He's, no doubt, researching anything and everything we can get our hands on as we speak."

"Guys, you'll be fine," Ray said. "Like I said we'll all be around to help you out if you have any questions. You'll be in the city as often as you'll be in the village so you'll pick up on things quickly."

"Though it wouldn't harm you to get a dictionary," Crystal added. "But I will teach you all some key phrases just in case. I mean you wouldn't want to buy dog meat on accident."

Max's eyes widened. "_Dog meat!?_"

"Don't ask."

"Have you packet yet?" Ray asked, extending a finger in her direction so she knew he was talking to her. Not that there were any more candidates in the room to ask, what with Hilary's clothes all over the place and Max being the sort who packed as early as possible when he knew he was going somewhere.

She shrugged. "I don't have much stuff so I'd say so."

"I need to borrow you for a few minutes."

Crystal's eyes squinted, as if she were trying to pick his brain. Or see through him. As if he had some other ulterior motive to his statement. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, tapping his fingers on his arm as he waited for her.

She said something to Hilary that he didn't catch and then got off the chair, following him out of the room. It felt…odd to be alone in the same room with her. When was the last time they hung out? Just the two of them? Too long, he couldn't even come up with a recent memory. He glanced at the letter on his dresser. Maybe this wasn't the right time. But if not now, when?

"Where did you disappear to all day?" Ray asked as he closed the door behind her. He waved his arm, motioning for her to sit somewhere.

"Remember how we were bombarded by the paparazzi as soon as the flight landed?" She asked. He nodded. Boy did he remember. The bright flashes hurt his eyes and the shouting from the wall of photographers and reporters hurt his ears. It didn't help that microphones were shoved in his face. He wanted to run out as fast as he could but Tyson had to soak up the attention. "Well a few of the reporters with them asked for some interviews and then they wanted some pictures so it turned into an all day thing. If Max hadn't come for support I would've died of boredom. I don't understand Tyson's fascination with talking about himself so much."

"Tyson's…special," Ray said.

"He's not what you wanted to talk about, though," Crystal said.

"No," he admitted. He picked up the letter from his dresser. The anxiety he felt from before hit him again. His breath caught in his throat and he had to make a conscience effort to breathe in and out. He lifted his eyes when Crystal snorted.

"Mariah couldn't wait a week to contact you?" She asked dryly.

He shook his head, his heart jumping at the thought of the pink haired girl, with whom he had recently embarked on a new path in their relationship. It came out of nowhere, to him anyway, and it still had that awkward feel to it. But when it wasn't awkward it was…special.

"Aren't you two getting along yet?" Ray asked, looking up from the front of the letter again. When it wasn't one thing it was another. He hoped that, while they were back home, he wouldn't have to mediate any fight they would get into.

"Don't be ridiculous. We get along fine."

Ha. If they got along fine then he was an elephant.

"If you say so." He sat down on the edge of his bed, catching Driger before it rolled onto the floor. Crystal sat down next to him, opting to sit with crossed legs atop of the duvet.

"So what is so important that you had to drag me away?" Wordlessly Ray held out the letter to her. She yanked it from his hand and peered at the front. He watched as her face slowly shifted from indifference to shock to surprise in the span of a few seconds. "Dude!" She slapped his arm making him jump. Not because t hurt, because it didn't, but because he wasn't expecting that reaction. She grabbed onto his sleeve and started shaking him. "This is from your mom!"

"I know," he said and pried her fingers from his shirt. "I recognized the handwriting." It has been a long time since he had gotten something from his mother but he had etched her handwriting and the way he smelled into his memory.

"So open it," she said, waving it beneath his nose. He didn't move to take the letter. "What, are you scared?" She had a natural talent to be compassionate and insensitive at the exact same time.

He pressed his lips together. Fear was not an emotion he usually allowed himself to feel. He was more anxious than scared to open the letter, anyway. There were two different things that the letter could say. Yes, he was happy to know that they were alive, that dropped a large load of weight from his shoulders but the envelope held too many unknowns. Opening it could open Pandora's Box.

"Can you open it?" Ray finally asked. Crystal's eyebrows lifted. "Please?" he wrung his hands together and sucked his lower lip into his mouth, sighing quietly when she agreed and popped open the back of the envelope by running her finger beneath the seal. His breath caught in his throat as she plucked out the folded piece of paper.

"Do you want me to read it out loud?" She asked while slowly unfolding the paper. He guessed she was doing it deliberately, to give him the chance to change his mind.

"Just…tell me if there is good news."

"Okay."

He bit down on his thumbnail as Crystal's blue eyes shifted across the page. He studied her face, waiting to see some sort of reaction but she kept it void of any emotion, probably for his sake. She didn't even twitch her eyebrows and the familiar curl of her lip, the beginning of a smile that almost always seemed stuck to her face, was gone as well. Her mouth resembled a thin line. He should have asked her to read it aloud. The silence was torture.

Finally she folded the letter again and dropped her hands into her lap. She pushed one of her braids over her shoulder and pressed her lips together. Ray's heart sank. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Do me a favor," she started. He held his breath. "Don't abandon me and the rest of us when you see them, okay?"

His ears rang and he pulled the letter out of her hand. "Wait, what?" He began to read it himself, and felt weight on his shoulder; Crystal had leaned over to read it over his shoulder.

"Yeah, they're coming to get us at the airport," she said, leaning back and nudging his shoulder. She was beaming. "They're coming back, Ray!"

Ray's heart pounded hard against his chest and his stomach dropped once more, but for the good news this time. He read the letter once, twice, three times and the words never changed. He grinned.

His parents were coming home.

Finally.

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**A/N:** Well, what did you all think? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Ray's parents are going to show their faces! I've always wanted to include them in a story and I'm glad I finally can to show you all my idea of what they are like. It always bummed me out that we never got to see them in the show. Please read and review!


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